The Situation

Any kind of copying or cheating

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Understanding the Situation

a. What might be some underlying causes of the situation that you need to think about?

• lazy
• didn't understand homework
• taking advantage of another student
• forgot to do homework and needed it done fast/forgot to study

b. Are there resources within your school that might be of help? If so who and what questions should you ask them?

• Backing of administration
• ask them if it is ok to implement a student cheating and plagiarism policy to have students and parents sign and return

c. Are there other resources that might be helpful?

• Website, email, text message reminders for home work and tests/quizzes
• School regulations concerning cheating

A Solution

As a teacher, you will often try to address problems by preventing them. That said, things happen in classrooms that cannot be anticipated beforehand and you will have to make decisions about how to address the situation.

a. Decide whether your action is proactive (action aimed at preventing problem) or reactive (action occurs after situation develops).

• Proactive

b. Decide what grade level you will "solve" this problem for.

• middle school and beyond

c. Describe what you'll do.

• I will create a contract concerning cheating of all kinds. This contract will include definitions for cheating/plagiarism and its consequences. I will have students read and sign this contract as well as send a copy home for parents to sign and return to me.

d. Describe how you anticipate your action(s) will affect the situation.

• There will be no confusion about what constitutes cheating in my class. There will be no acceptable excuse for cheating and the consequences will be clear. Hopefully, this will deter the majority of students from participating in cheating of any kind.
• Students will think twice before letting their friend "borrow" their homework.

Solution Consequences

Before you act to address a classroom situation, you have to anticipate possible consequences of your actions. Spell out some of these effects here:

a. How will you action be perceived by your students?

• Fair. Rules are clearly laid out along with the consequences. Nobody gets special treatment. If you get caught, you know what will happen.

b. How will your action affect the learning climate in your classroom?

• I don't think it will have much affect on the immediate learning climate.

c. What might your students learn from your action? (Be sure to note both positive and negative lessons.)

• Hopefully, they will learn that cheating is a serious offense that will not be tolerated.
• I mean business!

d. How will your students' parents react to their child's account of your action? (Remember that they will put their own "spin" on what you do.)

• Well assuming their child gives them the contract, I think they will react well. This contract also gives them the opportunity to see how things will be handled in their child's classroom.

e. How will your administrator(s) react to your action?

• If they agree to it, they will think it's a good idea to have some rules and predetermined consequences to student actions.

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BOTTOM LINE: I SHOULD...

Be clear and consistent with my rules and consequences so the students know that I am serious.